Page 58 of Love your Billionaire Boss

“Duh.”

Kenny glanced to the dessert table, but Cleo was gone. He looked away disappointed. He couldn’t help but beat himself up for not talking to her. The party was starting to wind down, and all they shared was one look. That one look was enough to knock the air out of him, but it still didn’t provide any answers on where they stood.

Maybe it was better this way, especially since Kenny didn’t know if he could give her what she wanted. His heart was torn between slipping out of the party undetected or finding her and taking her in his arms, if she’d let him. He stood there amidst the crowd and thought about his next move.

Chapter 21

Cleo

Once the birthday song was sung, a happy Mae blew out her ginormous sparkly candle. After Cleo cut and plated the cake for each guest but Kenny, she watched everyone dig into their cake with pride. They gave her the exact reaction she strived for whenever she baked anything, which somehow made her heart swell at the same time it broke.

The whole night she had snuck glances in Kenny’s direction. She couldn’t help it. It was as if he was a magnet. The fact that he was in a nice suit didn’t help much. Out of all her sly stares, one locked with his. That one look tore her open. She felt yearning, lust, want, and need. Everything but love. Or so she convinced herself. And then it was gone. Interrupted by a speech and the reminder of how different their worlds were. How different their feelings were.

She couldn’t bear being in the same room with him any longer.

“I’m heading to the kitchen,” whispered Cleo as she started backing away from the cake table.

“I’ve got this.” Elle gave her a convincing, but worried, look.

Cleo walked briskly away from the laughter and the clinking of glasses to the safety of the large kitchen. This was her happy place. She leaned against the cool counter and closed her eyes, soaking in the quiet and the absence of Kenny.

Still, she could feel him everywhere. Like static electricity buzzing off her skin. How could they be separated by one wall and still feel worlds apart? She gripped the counter tightly and shook her head. How could she have let herself fall for him? How could she have walked right into the role of a fool?

She knew as soon as he showed up that night at her house that it would be trouble. As much as she tried to talk herself out of the inevitable in the point-five seconds it took him to walk toward her, she still couldn’t pull her lips away from his. Again, he was a magnet and nothing was going to be able to pull them apart. All the worries, what ifs, and fear she fought off in that one kiss, she just let herself fall.

It was one of the best nights of her life, but was it worth it? She had hoped tonight would give her answers. She had hoped he would be man enough to find her and explain everything. She had hoped she would be strong enough to demand answers if he couldn’t. Turned out they were both weak.

But now was the time for Cleo to be strong. This party was just a reminder that she would never fit into his life or his heart. She wasn’t rich and didn’t wear cocktail dresses and didn’t know a good wine from a boxed one. Looking around the room made her so much more aware of just who she was. A baker working her way up from the bottom to live an average, but happy life. She didn’t need the frills or the parties or the large mansions.

She did fear that part of her needed Kenny, or at least wanted him more than she had ever wanted anybody. This scared her, and was just another reminder that she had to cut things off with this life. With him. With these people.

Yes, she’d lose out on opportunities. Her business cards had been cleared out. This was just what her business needed, but it wasn’t worth the pain she felt. She couldn’t risk seeing Kenny again at another party. No, she would have to start from scratch. She only had herself to blame.

Cleo sighed heavily and pushed herself from the counter with a confidence that she had to fake, even to herself, in order to make it through the end of the party. She began breaking down pastry boxes and washing the empty trays of frosting and leftover crumbs. The busywork was a good distraction from the party still going on just outside.

“How is it going in here?” asked Elle as she brought in some more empty dessert trays.

“Good. The boxes are all broken down. I’m just going to wash these.” Cleo took the trays from Elle’s arms.

“They cleared you out. The cake’s almost gone, too. Who knew all these skinny women could eat so much cake?”

Cleo laughed as she turned on the sink. Elle leaned against the counter and looked at her.

“What?” asked Cleo, grabbing a scrub brush.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Oh, I don’t know. It could be the very cute baseball player that’s been looking at you all night, but is too stubborn to come over.”

“He was not.”

“Was too.”

Cleo turned off the sink and began drying the trays on the counter.

“You know he sent his friend over to grab a plate of desserts?”

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